Days after a 21-year-old woman from Mangaluru was stabbed repeatedly by a man, she remains critical and under observation. According to officials at the KS Hegde Medical Academy (KSHEMA), the woman's condition showed slight improvement but she continued to remain in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital.
“She is under observation in the ICU where she is being routinely monitored. Nothing can be ascertained at the moment. She will remain under observation for 48 hours which will be a very crucial period,” said an official from the hospital.
The condition of her attacker, meanwhile, remains stable.
On Friday, 21-year-old Shraddha (name changed) was stabbed by 27-year-old Sushant allegedly for rejecting his advances. Shraddha was walking home from KSHEMA bus stand in Derlakatte when Sushant approached her and confronted her. Onlookers stated that an argument broke out between the two and that he suddenly pulled out a knife and attacked her.
In a video shot by passersby, he can be seen stabbing her in the abdomen even as she is heard screaming. When onlookers shout out to Sushanth to give up his weapon, he is seen hurting himself and daring people to come closer. The victim was stabbed as many as a dozen times by Sushanth.
A nurse then approached the man in an attempt to bring the situation under control and eventually Sushant stepped away leaving the woman in a critical condition. The injuries inflicted on himself were not very deep, according to hospital authorities.
Sushanth is a resident of Shaktinagar and is a dancer. Sushant and the woman have known each other for three years since they attended the same dance class. However, the woman joined an MBA course in a private college in Karkala and started maintaining a distance from Sushanth. A few days ago, Sushanth had reportedly visited her college, where he allegedly harassed her. A complaint registered against him is believed to be his motive for attacking her.